Gem Dust
by Melchior the Mewthree
Summary: Ash gets ripped from his reality and lands on a much more amazing one. But his world is not the only thing that has changed. (Anthro Hybrid story. Please R&R.) CHAPTER 2 FIXED!
1. The Mouse And The Fox

**_Gem Dust_**

_by_

**_Melchior the Mewthree_**

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--- XXX --- XXX ---

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**_Chapter 1_**

**_The Mouse And The Fox_**

--- XXX --- XXX ---

Ash had been through strange situations before. He had participated in quests and adventures that few people even dreamed of having. He had saved the world so many times he lost count. He had faced odds that average fifteen-year-olds would piss themselves just to think about. He had been through all kinds of unusual situations and predicaments.

But his current situation sure beat the shitting hell out of every single one of them.

He had woken up in the middle of a desert. Red sand, jagged rocks and frail, dry and leafless bushes scampered all over his vision. Not to mention a blazing sun just over his head. At first he just lay there, taking on his surroundings, and trying to remember how he had gotten there. He found that he couldn't. He couldn't remember anything at all before he appeared there. He still had all of his memories, all of his life, except for the few hours (or where it days?) before the event of waking up there.

His first instinct was to seek for his friends and his pokemons. He moved his arms so to have a support to stand, when he saw something about them that made his blood turn to ice. He lost count of how long he stared at his arm, unable to believe it. Then, after moments of denial, his mind started to accept the truth.

He had fur.

His arm was completely covered in dark brown fur. Not only that, but his nails were now retractable claws. More out of curiosity than anything else, Ash looked over at his body. He saw his feet; paw like, with brown fur as well, and with three toes each. As he stood up, he also realized that he stood on those toes solely. He tried to make his now bigger feet stand the way a human would, but a sharp pain quickly convinced him otherwise.

He looked at his clothes. They were the clothes that he had been wearing throughout his whole journey through Hoenn, only that they looked more like rags than anything else. He felt his head, realizing that he had an only slightly muzzled face, with a wet nose, as well as long furry ears with curled tips. He had also lost his hat, which made him show a grim expression; he really liked his hat.

Last, but most definitely not least, he noticed he also had a tail: a long, thin and flexible tail, with the almost axe-like lightning bolt at its tip. The tail waved around on its own, and Ash found it rather hard to make it obey him at first. After taking the time to process all of this, Ash figured out that he had transformed into something else; something different and quite unique.

He was, plain and simple, a Raichu-hybrid.

Ash thought that was a dream. He pinched himself, hard, realizing only too late that his claws were really sharp, and they dug on his skin easily, releasing the red liquid within. Even through the pain, the sight of blood was rather comforting. It was red. _Well, duh Ash, _he thought sarcastically. _What did you expect? Green? _

Seeing as physical pain was not going to wake him up from that particular dream, Ash decided that the best thing he could do was to try to find someone or someplace, preferably civilized, on that wasteland. So, with at least a vague goal in mind, Ash set off on his strangest adventure yet.

--- XXX --- XXX ---

The manor's garden was vibrant, filled with the fragrance of flowers and grass. Beautiful trees outlined and crossed all of its extension, the afternoon sun casting an unreal light on it. And it was in the deepest part of that garden that a certain girl stood in front of a tombstone.

The Vulpix-hybrid wasn't like most of the others. She had the six curled tails, the fox-like ears and face, and the padded three-toed feet. But, differently from other hybrids of her specie, her fur was white as snow, which gradually darkened to blue at her feet, ears and tails. She was fifteen, and already showed great beauty, as well as white-golden hair and eyes green as leaves, that emanated an aura of youth and life, though right then they had a look of melancholy. She was wearing a white, flowing dress.

She used slim hands to place the bouquet of red roses that she carried on the tombstone. She joined her hands, closed her eyes, and prayed with a soft voice.

"May the Gods protect your spirit, and may you rest in peace."

"Cassandra!" came a female voice from far behind.

Cassandra opened her leafy eyes and turned around to meet the running form of her sister. She was like average Vulpix-hybrids, with the red fur, as well as red hair and brown eyes. She was a foot shorter and three years younger than Cassandra, and her personality was one to match.

"Cassandra, papa was looking all over for you!" she told her, stopping to catch her breath. She probably went through the whole house trying to find her, Cassandra mused. "He said you're going to be late!"

"Tell him not to worry, Krina," Cassandra said. "I'll be there in just a minute."

Krina was about to turn when she spotted the tombstone. "Oh yes. It's her anniversary, isn't it?"

Cassandra eyed the stone with the same slight sadness. "Yes. It makes ten years today."

"I'm sure papa will come see her soon. He's not one to forget this."

"He never did."

The two sisters stood there for another moment, then, without a word, Krina returned to the house. Cassandra watched her go, then looked at the grave once more. Then, for some reason, she had a strange feeling; one that she could not place. She looked at the orange afternoon sky, as if trying to find an answer. She shrugged it off soon enough. She had no time for that.

She turned to the large house and started walking, but the feeling did not leave her, and she thought it wouldn't so soon.

--- XXX --- XXX ---

The moon shone brightly among the countless stars, more visible now than in any other time of Ash's life.

He was lying on his back at the sand, his head rested on his hands and his tail waving around lazily beside him. He had actually grown quite used to his new 'self', and mused on what he was truly capable of. If he was half-pokemon, he probably had pokemon powers as well.

For a moment Ash almost stood up to test his theory, but he didn't. The sand felt comfortable in his feet, or hind-paws if you prefer, and stargazing was one of his favorite sports after pokemon training. Even in the deepest wildernesses Ash had been he had never seen the stars with such clarity. He could actually pinpoint the Milky Way in there. Ash only frowned to the fact that none of his favorite constellations were there.

Ash stood up abruptly. None of the constellations he knew were there! In fact, that whole sky was completely alien to Ash. Alien. Could that be... another world? Considering what already happened to him, he wasn't in any place to dismiss that possibility. But Ash didn't want possibilities. He wanted answers. He wanted to remember what happened before he ended up in that place, wherever or whatever it was.

The black-haired teen sighed heavily and lay back down. Another world, huh? Had he been sent there with his pokemon and friends instead of a fur coat and a tail, he might have enjoyed the whole thing. Now, he just wanted to go home.

It was about then that Ash's eyes caught something flying in the sky, approaching his spot from the west, where the sun had set. It was too far for him to see clearly, but it seemed to be big, and avian. _A Pidgeot!_ he thought. _It might help me get out of this dump! I just hope it's not wild and run away instead of helping me._

But, how was he going to get its attention? There was nothing around to make a fire with, only sand and rocks. The whole place was a useless wasteland! And the Pidgeot was almost on top of where he was! Ash was so frustrated that he started kicking sand and calling out all kinds of names a fifteen-year-old shouldn't call, until he noticed some sort of flashing in the corners of his eyes, as well as a faint scent of ozone. His cheeks! Electricity! He could use his powers to signal it!

Ash started focusing in his cheek-sacks. It was almost instinctive, though he had to work around it a little to get the things to really produce enough power. He raised his right-hand to the sky, focused his power in it and, when it really started to power up, the fur in his arms raising with static and small, bright bolts traveling through his fingers...

"Raiii... CHUUUU!!!"

--- XXX --- XXX ---

Cassandra had a big smile in her face as she watched the starred sky above her, feeling the wind ruffling her fur and her tails as she rode her Archeot through the desert. She had arrived at the site much early, despite her father's preoccupations, and had a lot of time before reaching the city. For now, she only wanted to savor the clear air in her lungs and to watch the night sky.

"Eot!" her ride cawed beneath her, breaking her from her spell.

She looked down at its head. "What is it, Breven?" she asked it, but the huge lightning bolt traveling towards the sky at some distance from them was all the answer she needed. "Holy mother! What was that? Quick, Breven, let's check!" The Archeot looked at her with a hesitant look. "Don't worry, Breven. I'm sure it's safe," she told him. He nodded his feathery head, and changed his route towards the source of the bolt.

She wasn't truly sure it was safe, and she normally would never expose herself that much. But her instincts told her that she had to go there. And she always trusted her instincts.

--- XXX --- XXX ---

Ash was fighting back tears of pain as he looked at his smoking, charred hand. He had no idea he was that powerful. If he could only use that power without killing himself in the process...

The flutter of wings. Ash snapped his head up, and realized that the Pidgeot had started to come for him. _Success!_ he cried in his mind. But it was still far, too far for him to normally hear it, but it was probably the Raichu's sensitive hearing.

As it came closer, Ash realized it wasn't a Pidgeot, at least not totally. It was a griphon-like mix between a Pidgeot and an Arcanine, with the head, wings and front legs avian, while the hind legs and the tail were canine. Ash was so mesmerized by the creature, seeing that his 'other world' theory was even more possible now than before, that he didn't even notice the rider stepping out of it.

When Ash really saw her close to him, he gasped, involuntarily taking a step back. It was a half-human, half-Vulpix girl, about his age, if not slightly older, with the slightly muzzled face, paw-like feet, and everything in between. What really caught his attention was the fact that her fur was white, a darker blue in her feet as well as the tips of her tails, instead of the dark red Vulpixes usually had. Even though she wasn't like any other girl Ash had seen so far, he found her quite beautiful, the animal characteristics giving her a slight cuteness.

"Um, excuse me?" she asked him, snapping her fingers a few times in front of his face.

Ash blinked once, twice, then realized he was staring and blushed. "Oh... ah, sorry."

She tilted her head to the side, examining him. Ash found it rather uncomfortable, blushing even more, though he didn't know if she could see it through his fur.

She giggled softly. "You're cute when you blush, you knew that?"

She could see it. Damn. Ash felt even hotter.

"Though I've never seen a half-Raichu before." She looked closely at his face. "Where are you from, anyway?"

Ash didn't know what to tell her. She'd probably think he was crazy if he said he was from another world. Who wouldn't? But, what could he say? Might as well say the truth. "I'm from Pallet Town. You?"

Her ears flicked at the sound of his hometown, her face one of puzzlement. "Pallet? I've never heard of a Pallet before," She placed a finger in her lips, trying to remember of any Pallet she might have heard of before.

It wasn't like Ash expected any other answer from her. He sighed. "Well?"

"Huh?" she said, abruptly cutting herself from her thoughts. "Oh, right! I'm from the city of Equinocius. My name is Cassandra. Cassandra Theilior."

Equinocius? Interesting name for a city. Ash was curious about it, but decided to leave that for later. "My name is Ash. Ash Ketchum." He raised his hand to shake hers, but then saw the burns all over it, as well as realizing the throbbing pain once more. He frowned at it, feeling even more embarrassed, if that was even possible.

She gasped at the sight of his wounded hand. "Oh, Gods, look at your hand! You wait right here!" she said, running to her Archeot.

"Hey, wait..." Ash began, thinking she was leaving him. But all she did was reach for her bag, which Ash hadn't noticed before, wrapped around the pokemon's neck. He was still marveled by the uncommon specie. He could only imagine what Prof. Oak would say if he ever saw it. Then he wondered what he'd say if he saw Ash. The old man would probably have a heart attack.

She returned with a green glass bottle in her hand. "Now, show me your hand." Ash obeyed, raising his arm. She opened the bottle and put some creamy liquid in her other hand. She placed the bottle on the sand, rubbed her hands together, and then rubbed against Ash's. He winced. "Now, I know it stings." she said, rubbing more gently, "But you'll be thanking me later."

A sudden wind started picking up, ruffling their clothes. Ash looked at Cassandra, noticing how her hair looked more like tendrils of pure light than actual hair. He saw that they were not exactly blond, but a mix of blond and a bluish-white. In the moonlight, it was simply too beautiful.

Cassandra noticed him staring at her again. It was her time to blush. "Um... you're staring at me again." she told him.

Ash, never the brightest bulb in the box, blinked another few times before realizing it himself. Embarrassment started to become the usual feeling of the night for him. "Oh, eh... sorry... again."

She giggled. Her laugh was also another thing that caught Ash's attention. It was like the sound of tiny twinkling bells. Her tails waved around as she worked, and Ash decided to look at them to distract him from her touch. It was amazing to see that each one of them moved in a different way, two never in the same position. It was like each one had a mind of its own. He became faintly aware that his own tail was moving as well, though a little too excitedly.

"There!" she told him. He looked at his hand. It actually didn't seem that bad anymore, though they still throbbed, especially when he moved his fingers.

"Thanks."

"Now, that was nothing. I was passing by here anyway, so why not help someone in need once in a while?" she tells him cheerfully. "What are you doing in the middle of the desert anyway?"

"I'm... lost."

"Really? Where are you going to them?"

Ash couldn't answer that question. He knew nothing and no one around that place. What was he going to tell her? Wait, didn't she say... "Equinocius."

She looked surprised. "Oh, really? Well, then, lets go. I'll give you a ride."

Ash politely accepted. He wasn't going to spend a single other minute in that desolate place, plus he was starving. He couldn't wait to get some food. He wondered what kind of food this place had.

Ash felt a great exhilaration building inside him as he hoped up the canine bird. He loved flying on the back of pokemons. He had done so few times, and all of them were amazing. But, this time, as he tried to balance himself in the back of the Archeot, something was in the way. It was Cassandra's tails. "Um... excuse me, but... um, your tails?"

She looked back puzzled. "Huh?" Then she saw how he had little space in her mount. "Oh, sorry." she said, parting her tails sideways, three to each side.

Ash now had more space, but he felt himself redden due to him brushing against her tails.

"Now, hold on tight." she told him.

He looked around, then asked, "Um... where?"

"In my waist, or else you'll fall of in the take off."

Ash was a ripe tomato now. Her waist? She wanted him to grip her waist? He wondered what would May say right now if she saw him. But, as she wasn't there, he might as well enjoy it a little. Just a little. He hesitantly put his hands in her waist. His right one still stung, though it was now seeming like it was loosing feeling. He was slightly concerned about that. Had he burnt some nerves or something?

Cassandra, on the other hand, was blushing as well. For some reason, having him hold her like that felt good. She had found him quite attractive. And he looked so cute when he blushed like he did. That probably meant he wasn't much used to deal with women. He was probably still rather innocent in these matters. But, of course, that could be just her imagination going wild, like it usually did.

"Breven, lets go! We can still make good time!"

"Eot!" the pokemon cawed, and for a moment Ash though he understood it saying something like 'Right!'. It was probably just his imagination.

Breven took off into the night sky. It was really fast, and for a moment Ash squeezed his hands on the girl's waist harder, making her jump slightly. He eased his grip afterwards, more out of embarrassment than anything else.

They flew towards the west, where Ash had been going, the Archeot and its occupants soon nothing but a single dot in the desert sky.

--- XXX --- XXX ---

Khanaah stood within the translucent room, its walls, floor, windows and doors made of glass and gems. The light was filtered from the outside, giving it a magic atmosphere.

She was clad in long, black robes that hid most of her figure, her light purple muzzled face only partly seen through the hood. Her eyes were a glowing silver as they surveyed the object sitting in a pedestal in front of her. It was an ebony stone, so dark that none of the light that lit the room could lighten it. The stone actually seemed to absorb the beams around it.

The doors behind her opened, and another creature entered the crystal room, his steps muffled by padded feet. He had black and gray fur covering all of his body; his hands had sharp, long, curved claws, and his face was wolf-like. He had red eyes that seemed to be in a constant glare, and was dressed in black robes as well. A Mightyena-hybrid.

"The Lord has asked the results of your surveillance," he told her in a growl-like deep voice.

She didn't turn, and remained silent for a moment. Then she said, "Tell him that the child has arrived."

"Very well," he said. "Anything else?"

She seemed to ponder about it, then, "No."

He nodded. "The Lord also said he wishes to see you later today." He turned and headed towards the doors. "Make sure you'll be there."

The doors closed with a loud clunk, and Khanaah was left alone with the stone once more. She focused on it again, and then reached out to touch it. It felt smooth and cold, and something flashed in her mind and she did so. A name.

"Ash."

--- XXX --- XXX ---


	2. A New Home

**_Chapter 2_**

**_A New Home_**

--- XXX --- XXX ---

Ash woke up with the feeling of the chilly soft wind on his face, though, strangely, the rest of his body was really warm and comfortable. He looked down and, with a blush, realized why: Cassandra was curled up in his arms, asleep, resting her weight on his chest. Plus, he was holding her much more closely than he would have consciously allowed. He felt a mix of embarrassment and utter bliss. And her hair smelled so good...

"You're awake, I see," came a strange voice to Ash's ears, and after a moment he realized that it was the archeot's. He was speaking in his own language, which basically was composed of his own name's syllables in different intonations, lengths, orders, and other aspects. But, surprisingly, Ash could understand him perfectly.

Suppressing the urge to ask that all too stupid question 'You can talk?', even though it would probably be doubly stupid since the pokemon wasn't actually 'talking', Ash simply said, "Yeah, I am."

"Well, I honestly thought you'd sleep a little while longer. It's not like you're not comfortable back there, are you?" he said in a distinctively devilish way that made the teenager blush another shade of red.

Ash decided to change the uncomfortable subject. "How long until we get to the city, anyway?"

"Oh, not too long now. Just another hour in our present speed."

Which was much slower than before he had fallen asleep, Ash noticed. But he wasn't going to say that to the archeot, was he? He wasn't in much of a hurry, anyway. "Your name is Breven, isn't it?"

The avian canine nodded his head. "Yes, it is."

"She gave it to you?"

"No, I used to have it even before I met Mistress Cassandra."

Ash looked up into the night sky, to the infinite stars, once again noticing that none of his favorite constellations were there. He felt suddenly homesick, an image of his friends flashing momentarily in his mind. He missed them. "Do you know any constellations, Breven?"

Breven looked up to the sky. "A few."

"Could you tell me about them?"

"Why don't you let me do that?" Cassandra, perfectly awake, asked him, making Ash almost have a heart attack.

"C-C-Cassandra! Y-you're awake," he squealed.

"Well, isn't he good at stating the obvious? Don't you think he's smart, Breven?" she tauntingly asked.

"Very."

"You know, I think he deserves a prize! What do you say, Brev?"

"I say that's a very good idea."

"All right you two, stop it," Ash told them. He tried to readjust himself to a less compromising position, but was surprised to feel Cassandra's hands keeping his where they were. "Umm... Cassandra..."

"It gets chilly in the desert nights, Ash. You don't want me to freeze, do you?" she purred, snuggling closer, as well as moving her tails slightly, so they would brush against him.

"Um... ah... I..."

"You wouldn't be much of a gentleman if you let that happen, now would you?" she cooed. She then nuzzled his neck, making Ash feel like he had been thunderbolted. He was paralyzed stiff.

"Mistress, you're torturing him," Breven told her bluntly and not a bit least worried.

"No, I'm not." she said, making a red Ash face her. She had an evil smile plastered in her face, and Ash could tell she used it more often than she probably should. "You like it, don't you Ashy?"

He could only widen his eyes and flush redder.

She laughed loudly, obviously finding his expression too good not to crack. "You're just too adorable when you're like that!"

Ash's mind was swirling in a way that made a pidgeot's tornado envious. When he first met Cassandra, she seemed like a much more reserved person. Now, she had suddenly turned into some sort of flirting maniac! What was going on around him, Ash couldn't tell anymore. He could only act like a crushed schoolboy.

Cassandra's mood seemed to strangely swing once again, and her voice became softer. "Does it still hurt?"

Ash was too confused to know what the hell she was talking about, until he felt her gently rubbing his right hand. His burned hand. "Oh, don't worry. It's not that bad anymore."

"We're gonna have to patch that up later. Do you have anywhere to stay in Equinocius?"

"No, actually, now that you mentioned it, I don't."

"Well then, dad's gonna have a new guest in the house!" she piped up.

"Really, I don't want to be a burden..."

"Nonsense!" she exclaimed in an accented way that seemed like she was mocking someone. Both her and Breven started laughing, and Ash could only wonder why. "Now, really, it's no big deal. The mansion has so many rooms even I find something new there every now and then."

"Mansion?" he asked her surprised.

"Yep. More than fifty rooms, though the exact count I don't really remember right now..." she trailed off.

Ash's jaw was hanging limply. Fifty rooms? Just how much money did this girl have, anyway? Ash suddenly imagined himself walking completely lost through endless hallways filled with doors and more doors, not knowing where to go or how to get anywhere. It was a scary image.

"Here we are!" Breven called from beneath them. "We actually got here sooner than I expected."

The city was still half-a-mile of distance at least, but it was already clearly visible, and Ash found himself gawking at the sight of distant towers and flickering white and orange lights, like the cities in the fantasy novels that Delia had read to him during his early childhood. It was like seeing sparkling tiny topazes and diamonds on the blue-red velvet of the endless desert and the night sky. It was a sight Ash thought he'd never see in his own world.

"Wow." was all he could say.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Cassandra asked, leaning back and resting her head right next to his. Ash was still feeling uncomfortable with her forwardness, but, leaning his own head on hers, he figured he could get used to it.

After all, who wouldn't want to?

--- XXX --- XXX ---

Khanaah kneeled at the floor of the dark, stony room where the Lord lay sitting on his throne. The fires danced across the chamber, its shadows twitching and changing shape like tortured wraiths. The Lord was almost completely covered in the darkness and, from Khanaah's position, one could only tell that whatever sat there wasn't anything human. She seemed to blend in the room's shadows with her black cloak, but she knew very well he could see her perfectly. And, perhaps, a lot more than just her figure.

"Well, Khanaah," he started, his voice cultured and powerful, with a tint of animalism. "Sir Irham tells me that, in your own words, 'the child has arrived.'" He seemed to lean his head on her direction, as if to see her better. "Is that all that my most powerful and experienced psychic can tell me about this matter?"

Her head bowed lower than before, averting her superior's gaze. "I don't understand it myself my Lord," she said. "Something about him seems to block most of my powers. But I have been capable of getting his name."

"Really?" came his question, though a little unbelieving. "And what might his name be?"

"Ash." she told him, her eyes never leaving the gray tiled floor.

He leaned back on his throne. "Ash, huh?"

"Yes, my Lord."

There was silence in the room, the only sound coming from Khanaah's heart, which felt like a miltank trying to rollout its way out of her chest. She was decidedly nervous. His voice was almost a relief to her at that moment. "Do you at least have any idea of where he is?"

"I... I'm not exactly sure... but I believe he is now within the city... or somewhere near it, my Lord."

"Hmm..."

Wanting to be somewhere, anywhere else, Khanaah allowed herself to be bold and raised her head just a tad higher. "My Lord, is there anything else I can do for you?"

He seemed thoughtful for a moment, then, "Yes, in fact you can." He leaned on her once again and Khanaah could feel his eyes boring on her skull. "I want you to start acting competently for now on. Do you know the importance of this to our plans?"

"Yes my Lord, I realize the urgency..."

"Then stop _trying_ to find him and find him!" his voice roared through the room, the floor literally quaking beneath Khanaah's feet. Or was it herself?

"Y-yes, my Lord." she said, then made her way to the doors as quickly as she could. The Lord was the only person capable of having that effect on her. No matter how intimidating one could be, it was nothing compared to his wrath. Her hands were still trembling slightly, and she thanked the Gods that the robes she wore concealed them.

She decided to make her way back to the Crystal Room and start working immediately. She walked through the castle's arched hallways, the walls, ceiling and floors built with the same gray stone, the fires cracking softly as she passed them.

She was already at the stairs, when she heard an unbelievably irritating voice from behind. "So, was it as good as I think it was?"

Khanaah turned back, slowly, her eyes cold and unemotional, though deep inside she was seething. She looked upon the smirking face of Sirius, a persian-hybrid, with the milk colored fur, long tail, curled at the tip, and a cat-like face with a red gem in his forehead. He also had scarlet eyes and a wild, short red hair. He was wearing a black robe like Khanaah.

She tried to control the urge to psychic him to kingdom come as she spoke, "What do you want now, Sirius?"

His feline face was filled with amusement as he surveyed her, trying in vain to find more than black cloth and half-a-muzzle. "I overheard your little conversation with the Lord," he said, seeing delighted how she stiffened only the slightest. "The kid's name is Ash, isn't it? And he's at the city right now..." His head tilted up and he raised one finger to scratch his chin; with an almost ten inch long razor-sharp claw. "I just wonder what would be the reward for the first who found him."

Khanaah really wasn't in the mood for him at the moment. "If you excuse me, Sirius," she began in a tone that clearly said that it didn't matter whether he excused her or not, "I have much work to do. I don't really have time for you and your self-centered stupidity."

She then turned and walked away, leaving a smirking cat on her wake.

--- XXX --- XXX ---

Situated at the very center of the Itkallah desert, Equinocius was known as one of the greatest and most advanced metropolises in the world. The city itself was composed of the Palace Tower of the King Etriecht, a great vertical citadel of granite, obsidian and marble, suited at the very center, outlined by the Central Squares, where most of the commerce and trade was made, outlined by the residential and small business spaces, followed by the States, where the Theiliors' manor was suited, and the whole set was outlined by a great circular wall that stretched through all of the limits of the Estate City itself, as to keep sandstorms and other unwanted things outside.

Or at least that's what Cassandra told Ash, ending her description just before Breven touched down on top of the actual mansion, on a great and high balcony, probably where the archeot landed every time.

_Well, Cassandra wasn't lying about one thing. This place is huge! _The humble house, as Cassandra described, where generations of Theiliors had lived and grown their wealth, surely had a _lot _more than fifty rooms. It was, put simply, the largest house where Ash had ever been.

Cassandra guided, or dragged him towards the doors and within large and long corridors of red carpets, pastel toned walls, high gold and crystal-incrusted chandeliers and large paintings of people Ash had never seen and had never expected to see, looking as they all had muzzles or fur or wings or paws or pretty much any non-human characteristic. Those paintings were what kept the teen's attention the most, and he saw hybrids of all species: growlithes, noctowls, dowphans, rapidashes and, in Ash's opinion the most creeping, a chimecho-hybrid, who he found ugly and weird but that, in the painting, was paired with a quite beautiful female ninetales-hybrid, and the confusion brought by that piece occupied the boy's mind for the entire travel through the as much confusing labyrinth that was Cassandra's home.

Before the teen noticed, they were before another door.

"Joy!" the half-vulpix beside him called to the room beyond. "Joy, wake up!"

A moment of silence, then, "Coming, coming." came the muffled and sleepy reply from the other room.

Ash could hear someone shuffling and walking, and he started to wonder if that Joy was a Nurse Joy, or if it was anybody else. He also wondered what kind of hybrid she'd be.

Cassandra's bluish foxy ears were flattened as she impatiently waited, and Ash realized she must be of the kind that can never stay put on the same spot. He also realized that she still held his left hand firmly, but he didn't tell her.

The door opened, and Ash saw her. It wasn't what he expected. It wasn't like anything he had seen in that strange world so far.

She was human. A simple red haired human still in her nightgown, her face exactly like he remembered from his own world, except it was the face of someone who could really use some more rest. Were Joy's supposed to be a sort of multiversal truth or something? Were there Jenny's in that place too?

"I'm sorry I..." she yawned, "took so long, Mistress."

The irritated mask left Cassandra's eyes and she smiled. "It's okay, it's just a little emergency."

She opened her eyes fully to see Ash standing there, both looking and feeling incredibly out of place. Her confused face turned into shock as she eyed his hand. "My goodness! What in the world happened to your hand? Now, now, we have to take care of that immediately!"

Yep, exactly like his world.

"You patch him up, Joy. I've got to talk to father." Cassandra said and turned to leave. "Now, Ashy, you behave, okay?" she said as she walked away into the maze.

Ash was about to tell her to wait, when his good hand was yanked from him again, this time by Joy. "Now, come here mister, we have to look that up." she said, completely awakened, as she pulled him through the opposite corridor.

Ash's own ears flattened in irritation, but he said nothing, deciding that no matter how weird things were going to be, he'd better just go with the flow.

--- XXX --- XXX ---

That night the desert had become quite cold, which was pleasing for the guards that watched the arid immensity from the northern watchtower, almost two miles from Equinocius. The tower in itself was high, thin, made of yellow stones. It stood solitary in the red vastness, the only other thing visible the faraway lights to the far south like an ancient beacon for no longer existing ships.

A hybrid stood at the highest spot, smoking a small cigarette, watching as the white sick-smelling clouds drifted through the thin air until they were no more. He was bored to his skull.

He had green and yellow fur and a muzzled face, and the rest of his light leather armor concealed his other features, but there was no doubt he was an electrike-hybrid. In his back stood his long bow and his metallic arrows, and there was a pocketknife in his belt. He sometimes thought of how great it would be to carry real guns, but those are near to non-existent, and arming simple soldiers with them would be a waste of good money. Plus, hybrids could do well even without firepower.

As he flung his cigar over the edge and started to roll more tobacco, he saw something quite interesting far down at the sand. At first he thought it was a mote created by his vision, but it soon became evident that someone was there, walking in the wasteland, towards the watchtower.

Unknowing of who or what it might be, he quickly drew his bow and a single metal arrow. He watched as the mote walked steadily towards him, and he aimed, the electricity already coursing through the projectile. It was enough to stun anything that wasn't a rock or ground type, but he waited, trying to be sure that it wasn't a simple traveler, instead of a bandit or a scavenger looking for trouble.

After five minutes, the mote took the shape of a humanoid in torn rags, swaying drunkenly over the sand, until it finally buckled and fell. It did not stand again.

The hybrid lowered his bow, the power dying in the arrow. He turned to the passageway. "Hey, Erik!"

A small moment, until Erik arrived in the electrike-hybrid's post. Erik was almost two times the other hybrid's height, and three times the other's muscles, wearing heavier armor with some metallic plates. He bent to pass through the passage, his scaly wings scraping in the edges and his horns almost hitting the top. People in there would be terrified of the half-charizard, if it weren't for the fact that the only thing as big as Erik was his own heart.

Still, you did not piss Erik, because you wouldn't have your limbs the next morning if you did.

"What is it?" he asked the guard, standing fully like a giant over the tower.

The other simply pointed. "That."

Erik looked at the limp body, its rags of clothes billowing in the desert wind. The thing didn't look like it was alive, and Erik could almost hear the fearows starting to circle the corpse.

"You think he's dead?" the canine asked.

"Could be." came Erik's reply.

"You think he's a bandit?"

"Maybe."

"Are you gonna keep answering my questions like you don't know shit?"

He turned to the guard with an amused expression. "Perhaps."

The other laughed good-naturedly. "So," he said. "what do we do about it?"

Erik looked once more at the now unmoving mote. "I'll go check it out, you tell the others to keep on alert."

"You sure?"

Suppressing the urge to say 'maybe', Erik just nodded. "I'll be fine, don't worry."

The other hybrid took on his heels towards the inside of the tower, and Erik was left alone. He stretched his wings to their immense full length, and jumped with great strength over the side. He flapped a few times, then glided easily over the winds to the limp body below.

He was there in less then half-a-minute, and as he landed, he looked upon the traveler. He didn't seem to be a scavenger, much less a bandit. Still, appearances were deceiving, and thus he was careful.

He seemed young, though definitely not a child. Erik knelt beside him, noticing how the brown cloth that covered him was the only clothing he had. He removed what was covering his face, and took a long and good look at the hybrid.

"Better take you back with me." Erik told him, knowing he wouldn't be listened. He scooped the body easily in his arms, and took to the air again, his wings sending clouds of sand around him. He could already see the other guards standing in the high balcony, waiting for him.

At one moment he looked at the golden-yellow face of the hybrid, and felt something strange about him, though he couldn't be sure of what.

He shrugged it off and continued to fly towards the tower, unaware that for a moment the young one had looked at him with hazel eyes and an expression that showed confusion, almost awe. He passed out again soon afterwards.

--- XXX --- XXX ---

**_Reviews:_**

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**_star's dreams: _**_And I'm glad you read it._

**_Alex Warlorn: _**_Thanks Alex, I appreciate it._

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